The Fire Escape
by gothchic6
Summary: Gwen is a bouncer at a bar in NYC. When she falls off of her fire escape, she is rescued by a certain red mask wearing Ninja Turtle. What develops out of this? Rated M for swearing, and future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so I've been working on this for a while. I've always liked the idea of a TMNT fanfic. So, I present to you, my first TMNT fanfic, The Fire Escape!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT, nor do I gain anything from writing this.**

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Chapter One: The Fall

I am sitting on the railing of the fire escape, my long legs dangling over the edge. I know it's dangerous to be sitting on the edge like I am, but at the moment, I honestly don't care. I am just watching the urban environment of New York City as it flourishes, even at the current time of one o'clock AM. I can see all types of people walking on through the city, though most of them look more than a little shady. That never really concerns me, though. After all, who in their right mind would climb all the way up the fire escape just to get to me? I have to be at least more than 20 feet from the ground.

I love the thrill of sitting on the edge of the fire escape at night. After a really stressful day as a bouncer at a local bar, I just enjoy the feeling of being free from all of my troubles. My fire escape adventures give me that needed freedom.

When I work at the bar, I am quite used to throwing out men who have most likely had too many drinks and are revving up for a fight. I have no problem dealing with them. It is the women that truly stress me out. The women who go to the bar are usually the type to wear revealing clothes, wear lots of makeup, and flirt with a man any chance they get. They are also very judgmental of other women, myself included. The minute most of them take a look at me, I often hear them say things like, "Dyke", or a favorite, "Lesbo Bitch".

While I'm not the most ladylike woman to walk the planet, I am by no means masculine. I'm tall for a woman at 5'8", and have a stocky but not overweight body type. I have definite curves, but I always hide them underneath the large sweatshirts I always wear to work. I don't necessarily want to appear manly, but what I do want is to look unattractive enough for the men at the bar to ignore me. After all, my purpose at the bar is to look intimidating, not pretty.

My skin is a nice olive tone that I achieve from being outside most of the time, when I work out in the city's many parks. This means that my body is also very toned, but with my curves still intact. My short light brown hair reaches to my shoulders when down, but I usually keep it in a ponytail while wearing a baseball cap. My chocolate eyes are of average size, and are actually very flattering to the rest of my face.

For a woman of twenty-three, I suppose I am somewhat attractive. That is, when I'm not at the bar.

Tonight, I am dressed very differently compared to the black slacks and sweatshirts that I wear to work. Baggy grey sweatpants hang on my hips, while a peach colored tank top covers my slightly above average chest. My usual baseball cap is absent from my head, while my hair falls naturally against my back. All in all, I am comfortable.

Today had been a particularly stressful day at the bar. Today, I worked my regular hours, from 3pm to 11pm. Everything was fine until around 9PM, when two of the slutty women got into a fight over one of the men. It was truly a catfight; the two women were practically clawing at each other with their long, tacky fake nails. They also pulled on each other's hair, and one even landed a good punch before I managed to get over there to stop them. I was successful in pulling the two apart, and I pushed them away from each other before telling them to leave. One of them gave a loud "Humph", and walked out of the bar. The other wasn't quite so peaceful, however.

The woman's ice blue eyes were cold with malicious intent. She glared at me before going on to ridicule me.

"Who the hell are you to interrupt my fight with Brandy? It was between me and her! There was no reason for you to butt in, Dyke", the beach blonde said with contempt.

I rolled my eyes at the bitchy girl. "Yeah, but your fight was happening in the bar, and we don't allow fighting here. If you want to brawl, find yourself an alley or something. Just don't do it here."

The blonde scrunched up her nose snottily, acting as if she was better than everyone else. She walked to the counter, her hips swinging dangerously in her slutty, black leather miniskirt. She put her hands on the counter, and leaned in so I could hear everything that she was going to whisper.

"You are nothing but a Dyke bitch who will never get a man because you're too ugly for anyone to love you. It would take massive amounts of make up and spandex to cover up all of the disgusting flab you probably hide underneath those sweatshirts you wear everyday. Is that why you wear sweatshirts? Is it because you're too fat to wear anything else? Huh, you fat dyke bitch?"

I gritted my teeth, the Dyke comment hitting me hard. I had always had problems with women at the bar that would make fun of me because of my non-feminine appearance. However, I chuckled to myself lightly, thinking about the fat comment.

'Joke's on you, bitch', I thought happily, 'my body is more muscled than you could ever think to be. If I ever take my sweatshirt off here, it'll be me who the guys are sweating for, not you. Not that I care.'

The blonde continued on with her ridicule. "Oh, and what's up with that hat? Totally out of fashion, unless you're an old lady golfer. Trying to hide the fact that you never wash or brush your hair? If you are, then it's not working."

I ignored the blonde's comments about my hygiene, and went back to wiping down glasses behind the bar. I wasn't bothered by those comments. I take a shower everyday, and even sometimes, twice a day. It really didn't affect me in any way. The blonde wasn't finished, however.

"Oh, and you should really shave. Your mustache is already coming in really bushy, and if your legs and pussy are anything like your mustache, then I'd be sorry for the next man who sees you naked."

I slammed the glass I was holding on the counter, where it thankfully didn't break. I glared at the blonde, and in a low hiss, I responded, "I'm afraid you will have to leave."

By that time, everyone in the bar had noticed the blonde who was fighting a few minutes ago picking a fight with the favorite bouncer. They turned in their seats to watch the two of us go at it.

The blonde laughed obnoxiously, and threw her arms up in the air.

"And who's gonna make me leave, huh, dyke? Are you gonna be the one to throw my ass outside on the street? Or are you just doing this so you can cop a feel? I know I'm sexy, lesbo; I don't need to be told that. Besides, you'll never have tits or an ass like these, so why not manhandle me, and see what you're missing?"

Everyone in the bar gasped at the blonde's words, most of them knowing of my temper. But to their surprise, I burst out laughing. When I finally stopped, I replied,

"Why would I try to cop a feel on something that isn't even real? We both know that both your tits and your ass are made of silicone. Besides, you're not quite my type."

The whole bar erupted in laughter, and a few guys even yelled out a "BURN" or two. The blonde's face went tomato red, and she lunged at me.

Before the blonde could do anything to me, I twisted her arm at an unnatural angle until she yielded. I then proceeded to yell at her to get out, and the woman did so, running out the bar like a bat out of hell.

Everyone was laughing, and some patted me on the back. Then, the back door opened. I looked to see who was coming in. Silence filled the bar as the owner, Mark, entered the bar area, and walked up to me.

"A young woman outside told me that you assaulted her", he said in his stern, deep voice.

"I was only breaking up a fight between her and another woman."

"Still, she says you did some considerable damage."

"All I did was twist her arm after she lunged at me. Just ask these guys! They saw everything."

"I'm sure you have a reasonable explanation for your actions. Still, she could sue us for the injuries you gave her, Gwen."

"What injuries? Unless she has something that requires medical attention, she doesn't have a case!"

"Still, Gwen, she can sue us for assault and possibly, harassment. If you weren't my best bouncer, I might consider…"

"Consider what", I challenged.

Mark sighed, and said, "I might consider firing you. But you're too good at your job, and everyone loves you here, including me. You're a great hit with the regulars, you get along with the staff really well, and you never ask for a raise. You're practically what every employer looks for in an employee. I love ya, Gwen, and I'd never fire you for something as small as this. I am, however, cutting your pay for today. You need to go talk to the young woman out there! She's threatening to sue!"

"Alright, I'll go talk to her, Mark. If she won't let go of the lawsuit, I'll persuade her to sue me personally, and not you guys. It's not your fault."

And that's how I ended up with a lawsuit against me, and lower pay in just one day.

My phone rings. It's my lawyer, Matthew Sedgwick. I go to answer it, but I lose my balance on the railing. Falling from the railing is the last thing I remember before my vision goes black.

* * *

Raphael was not having a good day. It had started out shitty, and had progressed until he just couldn't take it anymore. He had to go topside, or the anger he had been holding in would explode in a fit of rage. Sure, his brothers and Master Splinter were used to his raging temper, but Raphael knew that if he stayed in the lair, his anger would blind him into saying things he didn't mean. And he didn't want to go through that again.

Raphael knew the day was for shit when Mikey woke him up by throwing a cold bucket of water on him. With turtles being cold-blooded creatures, it had certainly pissed Raphael off. Not to mention, it had been around eight in the morning, aka too early for Raphael to even consider getting up. He had chased Mikey all over the lair, yelling curses at him. He had finally managed to catch him and was about to pummel Mikey when Master Splinter emerged from his chambers and chastised him for almost hurting his brother. He'd done twenty flips as punishment while Mikey got off scot-free.

Later, while they were training, Leo had pretty much kicked his ass. While that wasn't enough to ignite Raph's hot temper, the fact that Leo had the nerve to gloat about it was what really made Raphael go over the edge. He had picked the closest thing to him, Mikey's spare pair of nun chucks, and chucked them at Leo. Leo saw it coming, and jumped out of the way. The nun chucks hit the weapons rack, and all of the various weapons were scattered onto the floor. Not to mention, the rack itself wasn't in good shape, either. Master Splinter made Raphael do fifty flips as punishment, and as an added punishment, he was to stay in the lair the next time the turtles went out on patrol. Raphael's blood was boiling by that time.

So Raph had snuck out after everyone was asleep. He knew Leo would kill him for sneaking out, and that Master Splinter would give Raphael his own type of punishment, as well. But as he runs from rooftop to rooftop, venting his anger, Raph's mind strays from the possible punishments that he could receive to the fact that the city has been oddly peacefully this week.

Normally, on average, Raph and his brothers have at least six criminals that they teach a lesson to per night. This week, there have been only three for the whole week, and most of them were just petty theft. It unnerves Raph, and he starts surveying the city quickly, searching for anything suspicious or shady. It takes him around fifteen minutes, but to Raph's dismay, there is nothing.

Raph sits on the rooftop of a large apartment building, watching the urban scene from where he cannot be spotted. Despite the late hour, people are still very much active. Watching them becomes boring, however, and Raph decides to move to a more deserted part of the city.

Raph is jumping from roof to roof again, when he hears a door slam near one of the apartment buildings around him. He looks over to the biggest building, which is probably around 20 stories. His eyes widen when he sees a woman in a peach tank top and gray sweatpants. Her feet are bare, and rather large, he observes. What really shocks Raph, however, is her defined muscle mass, and her golden tan skin. It isn't often that he sees a woman with such defined muscles around the city, unless he counts the women in the Purple Dragons. He won't even touch them.

The woman is just sitting on the railing of her section of the fire escape. Raph can't help but stare at her. 'She's one hot babe', he thinks as he watches her watching the city. This goes on for around ten minutes until he hears the heavy metal ringtone of her cell phone.

'She likes metal! Even better!'

The woman goes to take the phone out of her pocket, when she loses her balance on the railing. Raph gasps as he rushes over to try and help her, only for her to hit the concrete.

'No, no, shit, what do I do', thinks Raph worriedly as he rushes down to where the young woman lies on the concrete. He can see blood running from the back of her head, and he nearly panics.

'No, don't you dare die on me!'

He checks for her pulse, and is slightly relieved when he finds it. It's weak, but still there. He supports her head with one hand, and grasps her under her thighs. He picks her up, and urgently looks around, pinpointing their location.

'Aww, fuck, the hospital is too far away! If I take her there, she'll die on the way—'

He thinks about taking her back to the lair, but the thought makes him sick to his stomach. He already broke the rule of not going topside without permission. How would Leo and Splinter react if he not only returned after specifically being told not to go topside, but with an injured woman as well? Raph shudders as the images of both an enraged Leo and Splinter yell at him in his mind.

A pain-filled moan distracts Raph from his thoughts. He looks down at the woman in his arms, and is startled to discover that despite her head injury, she's opened her eyes. Raph is stunned to find warm chocolate orbs staring at him.

"You're pretty. And green. Forest green. Did you know that green is my favorite color? Along with red. My mom calls me the Christmas Elf because of it. Who are you? Are you friends with my mom?" The young woman murmurs slowly, while rolling her head to the side to get a closer look at him.

Raphael's amber eyes widen as he takes in what the young woman has just said. Friends with her mom? What the fuck?

"Lady, if ya think I'm your mom's friend, then your mom must hang with some pretty fuckin' crazy people", he retorts back.

"Yeah, Mom was never the normal type. My head feels funny. Why does my head feel funny, Mr. Pretty Green Guy?"

Raph sweatdrops before shaking his head, and replying, "Ya fell off the fire escape, and hit your head on the concrete. You're bleeding. Oh, shit, I forgot! You're bleeding! I gotta get ya to the hospital, Lady!"

The woman shakes her bleeding head, and says, "Nooo, not the hospital! My uncle works at the hospital, and he's creepy. And I don't have insurance! No hospital!"

Raphael thinks for a second more before sighing, and replying, "I have a brother who can fix ya up. But he's a bit different like me, so don't freak out when ya see him, okay? I'm gonna take ya to see him."

"If he's as pretty as you, then I'd be happy to see him! Let's see him!"

And with that, the woman closes her eyes, and loses consciousness.

Raphael sighs before starting to run towards the lair, while thinking,

'Shit, Leo and Splinter are gonna have my ass for this.'

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**Okay, so this is the first chapter. Hopefully, the next chapter will be up soon, but I can't guarantee it.**

**Please read and review, reviews are my motivation for these stories!**

**gothchic6**


	2. Bringing Her Home to the Family

**Hey, guys, welcome to chapter 2! I'm happy to finally present this new chapter, and I hope you guys like it as much as I enjoyed writing it (which was a lot, by the way).**

**Thank you to fashionfantasy, shika93, hollybunch95, Ciana Wolf, lolitathegoddessorca860, and the two mystery guests for reviewing! I am glad you guys liked it. And, in some of my other stories, I started out my stories with a character profile, which proved to be heavily unpopular. So, I took the advice of a few people, and I started this fanfic out fresh, without a character profile. And everyone likes it! I'm so happy!**

**And as for the question brought up by hollybunch95, Gwen is not going to be a lesbian… but there's a possibility of bisexuality. I'm still thinking about it.**

**Disclaimer: gothchic6 doesn't own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.**

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Chapter Two: Bringing Her Home to the Family:

Leo has woken up to get a glass of water at 1:05 am, only to discover that Raph is missing from his bed. The bastard. This doesn't really surprise the blue-banded turtle since he is used to his brother's hotheadedness and short temper. And it doesn't really surprise him that Raph did the exact thing that he was banned from doing. That doesn't mean it doesn't piss Leo off a little, however.

Leo walks into the combined living room and kitchen. He grabs a glass from one of the cabinets, fills it with water, and starts walking to his room, only to drop the glass in response to hearing a voice from the living room,

"I assume Raphael has taken a leave of absence once again?"

The glass shatters as it impacts with the floor. Leo takes no notice of this, and swiftly turns around to see his sensei, Master Splinter, reclining on the couch, apparently in the middle of a binge soap opera marathon. Leo sighs in both relief and disbelief at the appearance of his sensei. Though, he can't help but feel disappointed in himself; He usually could sense the presence of any living thing around him. He guesses that stress has caused him to become less observant of his surroundings.

"Your observation skills have been declining as of late, Leonardo. What is it that troubles you," Master Splinter questions Leo as he stands up from the couch, and proceeds to put a comforting paw on Leo's shoulder.

Leo sighs, and turns his gaze to the floor, disliking to having to admit any sort of weakness to his sensei. To encourage him, Splinter gently squeezes Leo's shoulder. Leo's cerulean eyes slowly rise to meet Splinter's coal ones.

"I guess it's just," Leo starts hesitantly. "It's just that lately, the four of us haven't been functioning well as a unit. Raph loses his temper almost everyday, and takes his anger out on us. Mikey is completely unfocused, and gets distracted at any given time. Donnie has been more reclusive, and he spends more time in his lab than out of it. Even I have been distancing myself lately, and I'm our leader. I'm supposed to be the one that brings everyone together. In the last few months, it just seems as if there's been something missing. But nothing has changed in those last few months! I just don't understand what's happening to us, Sensei!" Leo nearly ends in a shout.

Splinter's eyes sparkle with wisdom, and he smiles inwardly. He, too, had noticed his sons' lack of function as of late. He is just glad to see that Leonardo has recognized this problem.

"I see. Yes, Leonardo, I have noticed this sudden change in behavior as well. We are all distancing ourselves from each other, and I don't believe it is a good thing. But, the most important question of all, Leonardo, is, 'what actions can we take to reverse this occurrence?'"

Leo tries to think of solutions in his mind, but everything that he comes up with sounds, at best, stupid and/or very unlikely to work.

"It's like my mind is in a fog, Sensei!" Leo exclaims in frustration.

"It is all right, my son. Everyone has his or her moments of cluelessness. I do, however, think that something is pulling our family apart. What it is, I do not know. I only have an idea what to do about it—"

Splinter is swiftly interrupted by the sound of the lair door opening. Both turn to see a bloodstained Raphael enter, and to their surprise and horror, he is carrying an unconscious woman.

Raph quickly closes the lair door. He power-walks towards the living room and kitchen, only to notice the presence of Leo and Splinter.

"Leo! Sensei!" Raph exclaims, both panic and relief evident in his voice.

"Raph! What the heck is going on? What happened!" Leo demands as he and Splinter approach Raph.

"Leonardo, calm down. Now, Raphael, please explain why you are not only covered in blood, but also carrying an unconscious woman into our home," Splinter asks firmly.

Raph, still holding onto the unknown, injured woman, stares at Splinter and Leo in exasperation.

"Sensei, the blood is coming from her! She needs medical attention! Donnie needs to take a look at her!"

At the mention of his name, said turtle comes running out of his lab, while saying,

"I heard the words Donnie, bleeding, and medical supplies. What's going on?"

Donnie walks over to where Raph is holding the woman, and his eyes widen at her condition. He notices that the blood is coming from the back of her head.

"Raph, follow me into the lab. You know I always have beds set up in case one of us gets hurt."

Raph wordlessly follows Donnie. In the lab, Raph meticulously places the woman on the cot. After checking that she's still breathing, Donnie immediately takes a look at the back of her head, and sees how heavily it is bleeding.

"Raph, grab me the gauze pads. She's bleeding like crazy, and she's going to die if we don't stop the blood flow."

Together, Raph and Donnie wrap the woman's head up in gauze; both turtles are relieved when her head finally stops bleeding after five minutes of applying pressure. They then rewrap her head in clean gauze. Donnie inserts IVs in her arms, and gives her fluids so she doesn't get dehydrated.

"Raph, I need to know exactly what happened to her in order to be able to provide the necessary medical treatment. Tell me, in full detail, what happened?" Donnie inquires.

"Wait, can we get Splinter and Leo in here so I don't have to tell the story twice?"

Donnie nods. As soon as Raph leaves the lab, "Raphael!" beckons Splinter in a firm voice from the kitchen. Raph saunters over to them, where Splinter and Leo are sitting at the table. It seems as if neither Splinter nor Leo plan on getting anymore sleep; both have a mug of coffee in their possession. Splinter takes a long sip, as Leo asks,

"How is she doing?"

"Well, Donnie and I stopped the bleeding from the back of her head, and we wrapped her head up tightly. Donnie's just inserted the IVs, and he's just doing an all-around examination. But he needs to know what happened to her so he can help. I really don't what to have to repeat the story twice, so can you and Sensei come into the lab, and listen along with Donnie?" Raph questions them.

Splinter and Leo exchange glances. "What about Mikey," Leo asks Splinter, "shouldn't we wake him up so he knows what's going on?"

"No. Michelangelo is already having trouble sleeping as it is. Waking him up would not only rob him of sleep his body desperately needs, but I believe that his presence will irritate and distract Raphael and Donatello in the worst ways possible. No, Michelangelo stays asleep unless he wakes on his own."

All three exchange glances before nodding simultaneously. All three go back to the infirmary. To Raph's surprise, Donnie has already pretty much stripped the woman bare, and then covered her with an examination gown. Well, Raph's just glad he's not the one having to wear it.

"Hey, Leo, Sensei," Donnie says nonchalantly, his focus still on the unknown woman.

"Hello, Donatello. How is our guest faring?" Queries Splinter.

"She's a lucky one, Sensei. She's fractured one of her vertebrae in her neck, but fortunately, it's low enough that it won't cause paralysis, and it's not crushing any major nerves, veins or arteries. I'm going to keep an eye on it, and make sure that it doesn't pinch anything as it heals.

She hit her head pretty hard, though. Raph and I managed to stem the blood flow. I searched for any signs of a fractured skull, but, to my surprise, I found none. She has a lot of internal bleeding though, and brain damage is likely. Actually, it was her occipital lobe that was hit the hardest, so she'll be lucky if she's ever able to see again."

Leo's cerulean eyes and Raph's amber eyes widen at the woman's prognosis, but Splinter doesn't bat an eyelash.

"What is her estimated survival rate?"

Donnie ponders this for a second or two. "Well, since her skull isn't fractured like I originally thought, I think she'll live. What I'm worried about is her sight and the possibility of brain damage. But while her condition isn't exactly stable, she isn't as bad as she was when we brought her in. Hopefully her condition will improve during the night. But until then, I need to know the exact circumstances of what happened to her."

Raph turns his gaze to all three of them, who all nod in encouragement. Raph commences…

"All right, so I know I wasn't allowed to go topside, but I was just so pissed off that I didn't care what anyone said. So, I went topside. After around an hour of hopping around the city, I spotted her sitting on the railing of her fire escape. She was around 20 feet from the ground, so I was kinda worried that she'd fall. So, I stuck around, just to watch out for her. And I was right. Her cellphone started ringing, and when she went to answer it, she lost her grip on the railing. I couldn't reach her in time to catch her. She hit the pavement. I ran to where she was bleeding on the sidewalk—"

"I hate to interrupt you, Raph, but I need to know: After she fell and hit her head, was she conscious at any point?" Donnie interjects.

"Yeah, I was getting to that. So, as I was picking her up to take her to the hospital, when I notice she's opened her eyes. She starts rambling about how I'm green, and how green is one of her favorite colors. She also called me pretty, and asked me if I was friends with her mom." Raph repeats the last part of the last sentence in bafflement.

Leo steps into the conservation. "Does she look like anyone we know, or anyone who knows April or Casey?"

Raph shakes his head no, and replies, "I don't think so. I think the hit to her head made her a little loopy. And that's not all! When I mentioned that I was gonna take her to the hospital, she practically howled no at me. She was so loud, that I knew it could and would attract the attention of people nearby. She told me that not only did she not have insurance, but her uncle or somebody worked there, and she didn't want him creeping on her. So I was forced to bring her here."

Leo's eyes narrow, and he responds, "You really couldn't of taken her to the hospital?"

Raph frowns at Leo's accusatory tone. With a throaty growl to his voice, Raph replies, "No, Lamenardo, the hospital was too far away. She would of died if I brought her there."

Splinter thrusts his walking stick on the floor, causing a large noise to echo throughout the laboratory. He sends firm glares to both Leo and Raph, who immediately calm down at the sight of an angry Splinter. Splinter sighs exasperatedly, and says,

"There is no need for harsh words and tones, my sons. Raphael did what he thought was in the best interest of the young woman's well being. And while you weren't supposed to go out tonight, Raphael, you may have just saved this young woman's life."

Splinter turns his strict gaze upon all three turtles in the room.

"And now you three are perhaps thinking about how this young woman will impact our lives. And what shall we do about her, as she's clearly seen Raphael. Well, my sons… We just have to hope that she is of the same character of Miss O'Neal or Mr. Jones. Now, with that being said, I am going to return to my chambers for the night, and I highly suggest that you three do the same. Good night."

And with that, Master Splinter leaves the infirmary. All three turtles glance at each other, a bewildered expression on all faces. Leo exhales exhaustedly.

"I'm taking Sensei's advice, and going to bed. Donnie, if anything changes, tell us. Good night."

Leo also exits the room, leaving Raph and Donnie alone in the infirmary.

"Hey, Donnie, did you find anything on her that tells you who she is?" Raph inquires.

Donnie shakes his head, and replies, "Not really. The only thing that has a chance of giving us any idea of her identity is her sweatpants. They have a logo on them. I'm going to stay up to search it, and find out where they came from. Though, even that doesn't tell us much… Wait, you said that she was reaching for her cellphone when she fell! Where is her cellphone?"

Raph shrugs. "I don't know, I was mainly focused on the massive blood flow on the back of her head to notice where her cellphone went."

Donnie nods. "I figured as much. Do you know exactly where she fell?"

"Yeah, her fire escape was in an alley between Main Street and Albany Avenue. Why, you want to go see if you can find her cellphone?"

"Among other things. I was thinking more along the lines of breaking into her apartment, and searching for identification. And I wasn't talking about me. I was talking about you."

Raph's expression instantly changes from one of curiosity to one of surprise.

"You know if I get caught, Leo is gonna be up my ass, right?"

"Yes, but you've snuck out several times before, and you weren't caught. Besides, if we have any chance of finding out who this girl is, we're going to need to do some research. I don't think she'll be waking up for a bit."

"Fine. All right, then I'm going now. If I find anything, I'll call you over the Shell Phone. Be back soon!" Raph declares as he leaves the room, and then, the lair.

* * *

*Gwen's POV (1st person)*

I can hear a voice near me, wherever I am, and it sounds like it's talking to itself. My brain and ears are too foggy to determine whether the voice is male or female, though it sounds tired.

Besides my impaired hearing, the only other sense I seem to be able to use is smell. I can't see, feel, or taste anything. It's as if my whole body is numb, and I have no power over it whatsoever. From what my brain can put together, I come to the conclusion that I may be in sleep paralysis. But in sleep paralysis, people can normally see… Did I hit the back of my head or something?

Wait… I remember now! I was sitting on the fire escape railing, when I lost my balance and fell! And then, I faintly remember someone coming to my aid, but for some reason, my mind seems to think that a giant turtle was my savior. Maybe the fall made me insane. Who knows?

I've heard that when someone is in sleep paralysis, his or her body goes into atrophy. So, I'm trying to wink an eye or wiggle a toe to try and communicate. My eyes stay stubbornly shut, but my toes seem a bit looser. I try to move my big toe with all my effort, but it doesn't budge. But that doesn't stop me from trying over and over again.

I breathe in, taking in the nearby scents of my unknown location. It's smells… sterile, like a hospital. Wait, I told the person who saved me specifically not to go the hospital! No, not the hospital…!

* * *

*3rd Person POV*

Donnie hears the heart monitor screech, causing him to sprint into the infirmary to find the cause. To his surprise, the woman's heart rate has skyrocketed, despite the fact that she seems to still be comatose. But what could cause a sudden increase in heart rate?

"Hello, can you hear me?" Donnie tries to communicate to her.

* * *

*Gwen's POV*

I hear frantic footsteps approaching me, which only increases my anxiety. Oh no, what if it's Uncle Rick? Has he come to, t-to…

But then I hear the voice again, only a lot louder and clearer. To my relief, I know that it's not Uncle Rick, because while the voice is male, Uncle Rick's voice is a few octaves lower than this one.

"Can you hear me?" The voice questions in panic. I want to answer him, but I can't talk. I then remember my toes. I try to move them with everything I have. To my immense surprise, I am able to wiggle my big toe.

* * *

*3rd Person POV*

Donnie notices that the woman's big toe is moving. Maybe she can hear him, and is trying to communicate!

"Okay, wiggle your big toe once for yes, and two for no. Can you hear me?"

* * *

*Gwen's POV*

"Okay, wiggle your big toe once for yes, and two for no. Can you hear me?"

Happy that the male talking to me noticed my moving toe, I wiggle once for yes. I hear him exhale, perhaps out of relief or maybe exhaustion.

"Okay, I'm going to ask you some yes or no questions. Wiggle once for yes, and twice for no. If you can't answer, don't wiggle at all. All right? Do you understand?"

I wiggle once.

"Good. Now, can you feel anything besides your big toe?"

I wiggle twice.

"Can you see anything?"

I wiggle twice.

"Okay, do you live in New York City?"

I wiggle once.

"Were you born in New York City?"

I wiggle twice. I was actually born in Michigan, but I can't wiggle that.

"Have you been living in New York City for longer than a year?"

I wiggle once.

"More than a decade?"

I wiggle once.

"Okay. Do you know where you are?"

I wiggle twice.

"Do you know what happened for you to be in this condition?"

I wiggle once.

"Did you see the person that saved you?"

I don't know how to wiggle this time. I mean, I thought I saw a giant turtle save me, but I think I was delirious. Well, even if it was a giant turtle that I saw, it could have been a guy wearing a costume or something.

I wiggle once. I hear him inhale sharply.

"Did you hear the voice of the person who saved you?"

Now that I think about it, yes, yes I do. It was a rough, raspy voice that implied toughness. Very unlike the voice questioning me now.

I wiggle once.

"Am I the person who rescued you?"

I wiggle twice. The voice pauses for a minute or two before replying,

"I am glad that you are not only very responsive, but also very observant to your environment. Thank you for that. Now, I'm going to let you get some rest, because you need it. Please try to calm down, and go to sleep. Good night."

The voice leaves, and I'm left alone in the dark once again. I calm my mind, attempting to sleep, as there's nothing else to really do. Soon, I fall into a deep sleep of nothingness…

* * *

*3rd Person POV*

Raph, having successfully snuck out of the lair, hops from building to building, finally coming upon the alley he is looking for. Seeing as she fell from about 20 feet, Raph can guess that that means her apartment is on the 3rd floor. Stealthily, he jumps from the roof of another building to the fire escape of the woman's building. Luckily, he makes no sound as his feet impact with the rusty metal. He quickly identifies the said apartment as hers.

He is not surprised to find the window unlocked. Grinning at this, Raph silently opens the window, and climbs into the apartment. He flushes when he realizes that he is in her bedroom.

"Damn, she could do some cleaning up around here," Raph mutters to himself.

He's not wrong. Her bedroom is littered with various dirty clothes on the bed and floor, and her trashcan is overflowing.

He scans the room, looking for a wallet or purse, and quickly finds what he's looking for. He picks up the brown cotton wallet, and opens it, his eyes automatically finding the driver's license.

"Gwendolyn Ziegler. What an interesting name for an interesting girl…" Raph ponders as he grabs her nearby purse, jumps out the window, and out into the urban New York jungle.

* * *

**So, I decided on a German last name for Gwen… what do you think? And what has Uncle Rick done to Gwen in the past? So questions, and can only be answered in future chapters, which increase in quantity (and quality) along with the number of reviews I have.**

**So, please review! It brings smiles to the faces of writers like me, who really appreciate the feedback.**

**Thanks,**

**gothchic6 :)**


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